De-coiling cone

ABSTRACT

A system for dispensing weld wire comprises a container including walls and inside corners, a coil of weld wire within the container, and a de-coiling cone on the weld wire. The coil includes inner and outer circumferences, and the de-coiling cone includes an inner ring smaller than the inner circumference of the coil, an outer ring larger than the inner circumference and smaller than the outer circumference of the coil, and a plurality of legs extending radially outward from the inner ring to positions adjacent respective inside corners of the container. Each leg includes a first leg portion connecting the inner and outer rings, a second leg portion extending radially outwardly from the first leg portion, and a backwardly bent leg portion adjacent a corresponding inside corner of the container.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/625,185, filed on Jun. 16, 2017, which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/476,185, filed on Mar. 24, 2017,the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein in theirentirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to containers for dispensingweld wire and, more particularly, to a de-coiling cone for suchcontainers.

BACKGROUND

In many high production welding environments, weld wire is delivered tothe point of use in a container, such as a drum. The drum contains acoil of wire long enough to support high production welding operationsfor an extended period of time.

A de-coiling cone may be used to help feed wire out of the drum. Atypical de-coiling cone includes three concentric rings—an inner ringthrough which the wire is fed, an outer ring adjacent the walls of thedrum, and an intermediate ring disposed between the inner and outerrings. The rings are arranged at different heights and connected by legsor spokes that extend radially outward and downwardly from the innerring to the outer ring to define a cone-like profile. The de-coilingcone rests on top of a cardboard ring, which rests on the coil ofwelding wire inside the drum. The welding wire is consumed as thewelding feed system pulls the wire out of the drum through the innerring of the de-coiling cone. The de-coiling cone and cardboard ring rideon top of the wire, dropping lower into the drum as the wire isconsumed.

Customers expect to continuously feed the wire into their weld systemuntil the drum is empty. However, tangles occasionally occur inside thedrums. In some applications, particularly those with larger diameterwire, or with stiffer wire alloys, the wire tends to tangle due to twistinduced in the wire by the customer feeding system. One of the mostcommon types of tangles observed in the field occurs when the weld wiremoves up above the de-coiling cone, between the de-coiling cone and theinner liner of the drum, while the end user is welding. When thathappens, the wire eventually gets caught on the de-coiling cone, causingfeeding to stop, and operator intervention is required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An aspect of the present invention comprises a system for dispensingweld wire. The system comprises a container including a plurality ofwalls defining a plurality of inside corners, a coil of weld wiredisposed within the container, and a de-coiling cone disposed on top ofthe coil of weld wire. The coil of weld wire includes an outercircumference adjacent the plurality of walls and an inner circumferencedefining a central opening The de-coiling cone includes an inner ringhaving a first diameter smaller than the inner circumference of the coilof weld wire, an outer ring having a second diameter larger than thefirst diameter and smaller than the outer circumference of the coil ofweld wire, and a plurality of legs extending radially outward from theinner ring to positions adjacent the inside corners of the container andconnecting the inner and outer rings. Each of the plurality of legsincludes a first leg portion connecting the inner ring to the outerring, a second leg portion extending radially outwardly from the firstleg portion, and a backwardly bent leg portion adjacent a correspondinginside corner of the container. In an example embodiment, each leg mayinclude a third leg portion that extends vertically upward from thehorizontal first leg portion, and the backwardly bent leg portion mayextend radially inwardly and downwardly from the third leg portion.

Another aspect of the present invention comprises a de-coiling cone fordispensing wire from a container. The de-coiling cone comprises an innerring having a first diameter, an outer ring having a second diameterlarger than the first diameter, and a plurality of legs extendingradially outward from the inner ring and connecting the inner and outerrings. Each of the plurality of legs includes a first leg portionconnecting the inner ring to the outer ring, a second leg portionextending radially outwardly from the first leg portion, and abackwardly bent leg portion. In an example embodiment, each leg mayinclude a third leg portion that extends vertically upward from thehorizontal first leg portion, and the backwardly bent leg portion mayextend radially inwardly and downwardly from the third leg portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary system fordispensing weld wire from a container according to an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1, with thecontainer partially cut-away to show details of the de-coiling cone andthe coil of weld wire.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a de-coiling cone for use in dispensingweld wire from a container according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 is a top view of a de-coiling cone as shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a de-coiling cone as shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a de-coiling cone takenthrough line 6-6 in FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

The present inventive concept is best described through certainembodiments thereof, which are described in detail herein with referenceto the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer tolike features throughout. It is to be understood that the terminvention, when used herein, is intended to connote the inventiveconcept underlying the embodiments described below and not merely theembodiments themselves. It is to be understood further that the generalinventive concept is not limited to the illustrative embodimentsdescribed below and the following descriptions should be read in suchlight.

Additionally, the word exemplary is used herein to mean “serving as anexample, instance or illustration.” Any embodiment of construction,process, design, technique, etc., designated herein as exemplary is notnecessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other suchembodiments.

A system 10 for dispensing continuous running weld wire from a containeraccording an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and2. The system 10 includes a container 12, a coil of weld wire 14disposed within the container, and a de-coiling cone 16. The system mayalso include a lid 18. The container 12 includes a plurality of walls 20a-h defining a plurality of inside corners 22 a-h. In an exemplaryembodiment, the container is a drum with an octagonal cross-sectiondefined by eight vertical walls and having eight inside corners. Thecoil of weld wire 14 has a generally cylindrical configuration andincludes an outer circumference 24 adjacent the plurality of walls andan inner circumference 26 defining a central opening. The coil of weldwire 14 also has a generally flat top 28. The de-coiling cone 16 restsdirectly on top of the coil of weld wire within the container, and weldwire 29 from the coil may be fed through the de-coiling cone as shown.

As best seen in FIGS. 3-6, the de-coiling cone 16 includes an inner ring30, an outer ring 32, and a plurality of legs 34 a-h. In an exemplaryembodiment, the number of legs is equal to the number of inside cornersof the container. For example, a de-coiling cone for an octagonalcontainer may have eight legs as shown. Inner ring 30 is disposed in afirst plane P₁, and outer ring 32 is disposed in a second plane P₂ belowthe first plane. Planes P₁ and P₂ are preferably parallel as shown.Inner ring 30 has a diameter D₁, and outer ring 32 has a second diameterD₂ larger than D₁. The inner and outer rings 30 and 32 are preferablyconcentric. The legs 34 a-h extend radially outwardly from angularlyspaced locations around the inner ring 30 to connect with the outer ring32 and extend radially outwardly from the outer ring.

As best seen in FIG. 6, each of the plurality of legs includes an angledfirst portion 36 connecting the inner ring 30 to the outer ring 32, ahorizontal (or flat) second portion 38 extending radially outwardly fromthe outer ring, a third portion 40 extending upwardly from thehorizontal portion, and a backwardly bent fourth portion 42 extendingradially inwardly and downwardly from the horizontal part. While thethird portion is shown extending vertically upward from the secondportion, it will be appreciated that the third portion may be curved toprovide a smoother and/or rounded transition between the horizontal legportion and the backwardly bent portion.

The backwardly bent portion extends the effective length of each leg,thereby increasing the overall weight of the de-coiling cone, whichallows the de-coiling cone to lay flat on the coil of weld wire duringde-coiling operations without the need for an intermediate member (suchas a cardboard ring) between the de-coiling cone and the coil of weldwire. The backwardly bent portion also helps eliminate sharp edges thatcan catch on the container and prevent the de-coiling cone from movingproperly and maintaining contact with the coil as the weld wire isconsumed. A tip of the backwardly bent portion 42 may touch thehorizontal portion 38, or it may be spaced slightly above the horizontalportion with a small gap G therebetween as shown, to discourage wirefrom becoming tangled in the legs. The gap G is preferably no more thantwice the thickness of the weld wire in the container (e.g., no morethan about 0.125 inch for typical MIG wire). In another embodiment, thetip of the backwardly bent portion 42 may be welded or otherwiseattached to the horizontal portion 38 to eliminate the possibility ofany gap.

While the backwardly bent leg portion is shown having a first horizontalpart that extends radially inwardly from the vertical leg portion and asecond angled part that extends radially inwardly and downwardly fromthe first horizontal part, it will be appreciated that the backwardlybent leg portion may have other configurations, including but notlimited to a single angled part that extends radially inwardly anddownwardly from the vertical leg portion, a continuously curvedconfiguration (e.g., a spiral configuration), a configuration withmultiple bends (e.g., a zig-zag configuration), a rectangularconfiguration, etc. In an example embodiment, a length of the backwardlybent leg portion may be at least as long as the horizontal portion,thereby significantly increasing the weight of the de-coiling cone.

Respective bottom surfaces of the horizontal leg portions 38 arepreferably in the same plane. In an exemplary embodiment, a bottomsurface of the outer ring 32 is also in the same plane as the bottomsurfaces of the horizontal leg portions 38.

As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, the diameter D₂ of the outer ring 32 maybe smaller than the inner circumference 26 of the coil of weld wire 14,and the plurality of legs 34 a-h may extend radially outward from theouter ring to positions adjacent corresponding inside corners of thecontainer 12 such that only the legs are disposed directly above thecoil of weld wire. Configuring the outer ring of the de-coiling cone tobe slightly smaller than the inner circumference of the coil of weldwire (e.g., about 0.5 inch smaller) encourages the weld wire to slidesmoothly across this ring as the wire is pulled up and out of thecontainer. Also, if the walls of the container are deformed, they areless likely to contact the outer ring and impede the de-coiling conefrom moving downwardly in the container as the wire is consumed. In anexemplary embodiment, suitable for most weld wire, the inner ring mayhave a diameter of about 5.75 inches and the outer ring may have adiameter of about 12.38 inches, with a vertical spacing of about 2inches between the inner and outer rings so that the angle θ between theangled leg portion 36 and the horizontal leg portion 38 of each leg (seeFIG. 6) allows for smooth feeding. In an exemplary embodiment, the angleθ between the angled and horizontal portions of each leg is about 152°(±a few degrees). In an exemplary embodiment, the number of legs isequal to the number of inside corners of the container and the length ofeach leg is configured to position the vertical portion 40 at the end ofthe leg adjacent a respective inside corner of the container to limitlateral movement of the de-coiling cone in the container and discouragewire from rising above the de-coiling cone in the corners. In an exampleembodiment, the ends of the legs (e.g., vertical portions 40) areimmediately adjacent respective inside corners of the container but areslightly spaced therefrom by a gap small enough to prevent thede-coiling cone from rotating more than a few degrees while discouragingcontact with the corner that may result in binding. In an exampleembodiment, the horizontal portion of each leg has a length that is15%-25% of the diameter of the outer ring, and preferably about 20% ofthe diameter of the outer ring.

In an exemplary embodiment, components of the de-coiling cone of thepresent invention may be formed of steel wire and welded together. Forexample, galvanized wire with a round cross-section may be used. Whileother materials and manufacturing methods may be used, it is importantthat the weight of the de-coiling cone be sufficient to avoid beinglifted off the coil of weld wire or otherwise displaced duringde-coiling operations. We have found that a cone weight of about 1.6-2.0pounds is sufficient for most weld wire, although the de-coiling conemay be configured to be lighter or heavier if desired.

The descriptions above are intended to illustrate possibleimplementations of the present inventive concept and are notrestrictive. Many variations, modifications and alternatives will becomeapparent to the skilled artisan upon review of this disclosure. Forexample, while a container with eight walls is shown, it will beappreciated that the container may include fewer or more than eightwalls. The container may also be disposed with an outer container ofdifferent cross-sectional shape, such as a square cross-section. Whileit is preferred that the de-coiling cone have the same number of legs asthe number of inside corners of the container, the cone may have feweror more legs than the number of inside corners. Additionally, while thede-coiling cone is configured to rest directly on the coil of weld wirewithout the need for any intermediate member (such as a cardboard ring)therebetween, a cardboard ring may be placed between the de-coiling coneand the coil of weld wire. Also, while a de-coiling cone with only twoconcentric rings is preferred to minimize manufacturing costs andinhibit contact between the walls of the container and the de-coilingcone, a third concentric ring of larger diameter may be placed above thelegs to add weight to the de-coiling cone, particularly if the diameterof the third ring is such that there is sufficient room between the ringand the walls of the container to limit the possibility of contacttherebetween in the event of wall deformation. Thus, it will beappreciated that components equivalent to those shown and described maybe substituted therefor, elements and methods individually described maybe combined, and elements described as discrete may be distributedacross many components. The scope of the invention should therefore bedetermined not with reference to the description above, but withreference to the appended claims, along with their full range ofequivalents.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A system for dispensing weld wirecomprising: a container; a coil of weld wire disposed within thecontainer; and a de-coiling cone disposed within the container above thecoil of weld wire, the de-coiling cone including an inner ring, an outerring, and a plurality of legs; wherein the inner ring is connected withthe outer ring; wherein each of the plurality of legs includes ahorizontal leg portion extending outwardly from the outer ring and abackwardly bent leg portion coupled with the horizontal leg portion; andwherein a gap between a tip of the backwardly bent leg portion and thehorizontal leg portion of the leg is less than a vertical distancebetween the inner and outer rings.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein thegap between the tip of the backwardly bent leg portion and thehorizontal leg portion is no larger than twice a thickness of the weldwire.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the backwardly bent leg portionis disposed above the horizontal leg portion.
 4. The system of claim 1,wherein the backwardly bent leg portion extends inwardly and downwardlytowards the horizontal leg portion.
 5. A system for dispensing weld wirecomprising: a container; a coil of weld wire disposed within thecontainer; and a de-coiling cone disposed within the container above thecoil of weld wire, the de-coiling cone including an inner ring, an outerring, and a plurality of legs; wherein the inner ring is connected withthe outer ring; wherein each of the plurality of legs includes ahorizontal leg portion extending outwardly from the outer ring to abackwardly bent leg portion; wherein a tip of the backwardly bent legportion is disposed adjacent the horizontal leg portion of the leg, andwherein the tip of the backwardly bent leg portion is in contact withthe horizontal leg portion.
 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the tip ofthe backwardly bent leg portion is attached to the horizontal legportion.
 7. The system of claim 5, wherein the tip of the backwardlybent leg portion is welded to the horizontal leg portion.
 8. Ade-coiling cone for dispensing weld wire from a container, thede-coiling cone comprising: a first ring; a second ring disposed belowthe first ring; and a plurality of legs; wherein the first ring isconnected with the second ring; wherein each of the plurality of legsincludes a horizontal leg portion extending outwardly from the outerring and a backwardly bent leg portion coupled with the horizontal legportion; and wherein a gap between a tip of the backwardly bent legportion and the horizontal leg portion of the leg is less than avertical distance between the inner and outer rings.
 9. The de-coilingcone of claim 8, wherein the gap between the tip of the backwardly bentleg portion and the horizontal leg portion is no larger than twice thethickness of the weld wire.
 10. The de-coiling cone of claim 8, whereinthe backwardly bent leg portion is disposed above the horizontal legportion.
 11. The de-coiling cone of claim 8, wherein the backwardly bentleg portion extends inwardly and downwardly towards the horizontal legportion.
 12. A de-coiling cone for dispensing weld wire from acontainer, the de-coiling cone comprising: a first ring; a second ringdisposed below the first ring; and a plurality of legs; wherein thefirst ring is connected with the second ring; wherein each of theplurality of legs includes a horizontal leg portion extending outwardlyfrom the second ring to a backwardly bent leg portion; wherein a tip ofthe backwardly bent leg portion is disposed adjacent the horizontal legportion of the leg, and wherein the tip of the backwardly bent legportion is in contact with the horizontal leg portion.
 13. Thede-coiling cone of claim 12, wherein the tip of the backwardly bent legportion is attached to the horizontal leg portion.
 14. The de-coilingcone of claim 12, wherein the tip of the backwardly bent leg portion iswelded to the horizontal leg portion.